Petrol Cap

[hoffers]

Hi all,

I made the most of the good weather last week and clocked over 250 miles with the top down. Great wind in the hair feeling, just wish I had hair!!!

Anyway, here's my problem . .
The petrol filler cap on my '77 Stag is really hard to lock and needs brute force to hold down to turn key to lock, and then it doesn't always catch and stay shut.
The rubber cap looks quite new and all seems okay with the spring etc.
Any suggestions welcome.

cheers
Hoffs

[Andrew S]

Hi Hoffs
The new seals take a while to bed in and mine is still going through the process. I am not sure why yours undoes as there is a small bar if I remember where the lock catches, so pretty basic operation. Sounds to me as though its just the rubber seal that is the cause of your problem and it may be worth taking it off again and re-fitting to see if it beds in. Sorry, not much more I can help with

Andrew

[ethel]

Hoffs,
It maybe that the bar that Andrew mentioned has got bent, especially if the latch has not engaged the bar properly. I think it's the kind of problem that makes itself worse, if it doesn't catch on the bar because it's bent and you try to force it then the bar gets bent more and it's even more difficult to shut/lock.
If you take the cap assembly off the car then the bar can be punched out of its holes and straightened.
John.

[hoffers]

Thanks chaps.

John, the bar actually looks straight and okay. The spring looks to have seen better days so perhaps that's not helping matters.
Such a niggly little annoyance but it needs to be right because it's a pain at petrol stations spending several minutes trying to get the cap to catch the latch and stay shut.
Happy daze!!!

Hoffs

[Dylan]

Dear Hoffs
Had the same problem with mine - very embarrassing at petrol stations. The spring had become rigid. I put a bit of oil on it and compresssed and released it a bunch of times and lo - it started springing nicely again and the cap was easier to lock (now doesn't alays catch so well as i suspect the struggles others had had with it for several years had shaved the bar etc).
Hope this helps
Dylan

[hoffers]

Hi Dylan,

Yes indeed, that sounds exactly like the problem. I'll oil the spring as suggested.
many thanks mate

Tony (Hoffs)